


Rescue

by Nugg



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, Memory Loss, Reunions, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 15:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nugg/pseuds/Nugg
Summary: Ryuji couldn't remember right now. He was too dazed. It... hurt? Was that what it was? Straining himself to think of anything was exausting.Pegoryu Week Prompt Seven: Reunion





	Rescue

     Damn.

    That's all he could think.

      _Damn_.

     It was so blue where he was. So many deep colors, he wanted to feel like it was cold. But, really, he couldn't feel much of anything. He felt worthless. He... he couldn't think. He could say what he thought he should be feeling, but he was just numb.

      Numb and alone.

     Sure, he'd been alone countless times. But this place was different. This place was so void of anything that he felt so empty. So, completely stripped inside and out.

     Ryuji couldn't remember right now. He was too dazed. It... hurt? Was that what it was? Straining himself to think of anything was exausting.

      Maybe if he curled up, and went into a little ball, he would wake up, and someone would come and save him. Like what would happen when he was young, crouching in the corner of his closet to wait it out. Close his eyes until his mom opened the door, all angel-like with the light behind her. Reassuring that he was okay. That they were fine.

      _Oh yuck_. He shuddered at the memory, and passed it off as the atmosphere around him finally bringing out some feeling.

     Did he die? Was this hell? What happened? Where the was he? What was he doing?

      If it was death, he had never imagined it being like this. He'd always feared it. So scared of what came after. That everyone he knew would one day leave him.

      And now he was in that position... or so he guessed. Running a finger across the dirty stone floor. Leaning his head back against the wall again, to take in wherever he was.

       He was never religious. So, hell probably did exsist, and he was there for not believing. Or, for some dumb shit he did in the past. Or, because he was into dudes...

       Needless to say, it wasn't very beneficial to dwell on everything he ever did in life. Somehow, he ended up here. And he knew it was his fault. Like it had always been. He was a terrible person, and this was punishment- or you know, he could be totally wrong.

      What was he in? A jail? A prison? Jeez. Surely he wasn't in the real world. No detainment center would ever be this dingy. And there was nobody around. Desolate, lonely. Perhaps he was asleep.

       No. No. If it was a dream, he wouldn't be as awake as he was. And, even if it was, he never remembered going to bed. Hell, what kinda drugs did he take to even think of this in his sleep?

      If he thought harder. Maybe, he could think back. Try to figure out what had happened before. And why he wound up in such a decrepit, shit place.

       Ryuji was with someone. A friend.. There was more than one. Right? Yeah. He definitely was. They were there with him and...

       Who were they? They had names. They did. But at the moment, they were blobs. Blurry and so far away. Standing figures without anything to remember. No details, like a blank coloring book he had to fill in with his brain.

      Sick. Sick. _Sick_! He felt sick. He was nauseated before he came here. Did he die of some disease?

       Nuh uh. Everyone felt sick. Everyone... who was everyone? Orange. Blue. Black. Brown. Blondes...

       A cat. There was a cat. Small. And so, so annoying. Mo- hm. It started with Mor- and it was rude. Yellow collar, dark fur with small white spots. Mona? Mona- Morgana!

        He was with the asshole animal before!

       It was a start. And, the orange began to materialize in his mind. Technology. Glasses. He was helping her. Her, her, her. It was a girl. A very scared girl. He wanted to protect her, wanted to make her feel better.

       Oh, Futaba. Oh god, he never felt more relieved to think of the little devils name. The hacker, the wonderful, feisty, Futaba. And...

       Tears. Who was crying? And- An. Ann. Ann was terrifyed. She was so scared, and he couldn't help her. Because he was..

       Yusuke, Haru. They were there! They were his friends, and they were hurting. Everything was red, and he was hurting. He was so sick. So dizzy, he wanted to give up, but couldn't will himself to cave into the feeling.

       Morgana, Futaba, Ann, Yusuke, Haru... The student body president. Lord. She was a prissy, stuck up girl. No. No. Wait. That was the old Makoto. The pre-awakening Makoto. The new one was much more open, and she was so much more caring. Makoto. Makoto. Makoto... and..?

       There was one more to go. One, amazing person to go. The beacon of light in his life. The person who changed him.

       Black hair, black, frizzy hair that he dug his fingers into so many times. Whoever it was, was important. So very much so. He... It was a guy. And Ryuji loved him.

      Kisses. Lips on lips, long nights in the attic, hot breaths. Panting, legs tangling in the blankets. And a lot of love. So strong. Overwhelming ammounts of love hit him in waves.

       Shit. God dammit! Who the hell was it? The alphabet spun in wild circles around him, trying to pick out letters that made sense.

      Opening his eyes. He was disappointed.

      The dark, damp cell met him. And he felt like crying. Because, he was forgetting someone. He was missing him. It was cold now. And he regretted ever wanting to feel anything earlier.

      Porcelain skin. Soft touches, comforting hugs. A smell of nice cologne, convenience store body wash, and coffee. And he adores that. He wanted to suffocate himself in it. Bury his face into the crook of the persons neck like he always did.

       But he didn't remember. And maybe that was his purgatory. In a constant state of forgetting the guy he loved.

      "Ryuji."

        _Holy shit Akira._

       Something was wrong within him. He wasn't excited. He wasn't happy to see his boyfriend. He felt useless. Like nothing mattered, all wrapped in confusion.

       There in his Phantom Theif getup, he stood. Gripping the bar, look of regret. Mixed with the eyes Ryuji fell so deeply for.

        "Yo... Looks like we're both somehow alive and kickin'." He closed his eyes, trying his mood lifting dialogue, "But er... where at?"

      Sighing, Akira flashed a smile full of relief, "I'm glad you're okay."

        It somehow hit him then. That his hand disappeared in front of his very own eyes. And it was painful. All his friends dropped, and he screamed so loudly before everything faded to black.

       Stupid Holy Grail. Stupid Metaverse. Stupid him. He could've done something to prevent it all. To get the image of himself and those he cared about withering away.

       "Man, this prison cell kinda reminds me how we met." He finally could get out, feeling something trigger inside him.

       Sitting back, he felt the sense of worthlessness fill him again, "What happned in Shibuya.. it was like everyone chose not to see it. We helped for nothing, all the fans... In reality they would've rather had everything stay the same."

       Akira didn't say anything, and he took that space, "Did what we were doin' have any meaning at all?"

       The other shook his head, and he looked over, so tired, so done with everything, "Please don't give up now Ryuji."

       Of course. Always there to make him feel wanted. To fix, and heal what was unmendable. He was right in his attempts earlier to remember. He was so important.

        "Haha," he bit his lip to hide his grin, "You're so freakin' tough man."

        Picking at the lint on the corner of his jacket, he laughed to try and put off the heaviness, "Back when I thought we'd die before learnin' everything... is the first time I ever doubted us doing the right thing."

        "Maybe we deserved to lose," he looked up, staring straight through the bars and into the eyes of someone he trusted so dearly, "You feel me?"

        Akira shifted, and frowned, "No. Not at all."

       "Well, it's like, now that I think about it. I started everything because I was pissed off. Maybe it's never been about winnin'... it ain't no track meet or arcade game."

       "Maybe all I was doin' was just continuin' my own defience. Doin' it for me... ain't that selfish?" Ryuji dug back into the thoughts that always plagued him in the past. The ones that worried him, and kept him up thinking about at night  
  
       Nodding, a red glove slid between the metal, "And that's okay. That's what fueled you. It's alright to feel that way."

       "It's... fine..?" He sat forward rather quickly.

        The little bit of drearyness began to trickle out with each word spoken. Even if they weren't all that often. Or they weren't long, his boyfriend did everything to draw out the dread held inside him.

       Finally, he was feeling something other than the empty pit inside his stomach. Something warm began to grow. And whips of powerful voices began in the back of his mind. Reminding him of who he was, and why he did what he did.

       The weight on his mom. The bruises on Mishima. The flash of Shiho free falling off the roof. It was all because of something. Someone. Even if it was all his own defience, that defience was for others. He was rebelling for people.

       "You're right," he said, pride lifting at the corners of his mouth, "I get it now."

        "We're doin' this to make sure people don't gotta go through the same bullshit we did. It doesn't matter if they think we're just. It never did! We do what we belive!"

       Glancing over, Akiras smile was his win. The thing that drove him out of his    slump. The thing that always made him feel great, and it was right there, cheering him on.

      Stretching as he stood, he shrugged, "Heh. It's not like people think much of me anyways..."

       "Ryuji." Akira crossed his arms and sent the same look he always had when he said self depricating things, "Don't say stuff like that."

        Putting his hands up, he laughed, "Okay! Okay! I'm gonna dash through this the only way I know how!"

       For a moment, the awakening he had months ago flashed through him. Electricity weaved throughout his veins. And the voice started shouting words of rebellion.

       Captain Kidd was ready. And so was he.

       A bright blue flame blew over him, and he was back in his gear. Skull mask and all. It felt so empowering.

      The bars lit up, and vanished. Picking up his pace, he flew out of them. All the couped up energy was released.

        Grabbing Akira, and pulling him into a hug. He didn't think he ever squeezed so tightly in his life. Thinking back to how bad he felt moments before, sitting in there, unable to remember.

        Leaning back, Ryuji fell back into his memories, and pressed his lips on Akiras. Ignoring their awkward mask bumping to loathe the warmth. Smiling against him.

        "Heh, you got me outta prison... just like before," He let out a greatful laugh, hand squeezing his partners waist, "I'm real glad I met you."

       Nodding, Akira returned the kiss, and lay his chin on Ryuji's shoulder, "And I'm glad to have you back."

       Narrowing his eyes, and pumping his fist, they let go of each other, and the blond beamed, "Let's go kick some Holy Grail ass!"

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I wrote two other fics. Didn't like them, and then a convo in discord inspired this. 
> 
> Im so sad this week is over!!


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